How to help wildlife in your garden this winter

If you’ve had it bad in your garden this year, spare a thought for our wildlife. Our birds, butterflies, bees and other animals breed and hibernate at particular times, according to the availability of food and habitat. Frogs and toads emerge from hibernation to breed in recently thawed ponds. Garden birds nest when the availability of caterpillars and aphids is at its peak, while swifts, swallows and house martins return from Africa to take advantage of the masses of airborne insects between May and August.

But not this year. In parts of East Anglia, frogs and toads returned to their breeding ponds to find they had dried out during the spring drought. And when the rains finally came, caterpillars and aphids were washed off plants, putting baby birds at risk of starvation. Swifts and swallows have also gone hungry: insects can’t fly, let alone breed, in wet weather.

We asked leading conservation experts to share their findings into how our garden wildlife has fared this year, and discovered a mixed picture of winners and losers. Read on to see what you can do to help 10 of the most affected species survive the winter ahead.

Bats

Bats fared badly this year. During the spring and early summer, Bat Conservation reported a 50 per cent increase in calls to its helpline, with starving bats unable to fly being the most common concern. Bats eat midges and moths, but these can’t fly in rain, so bats had difficulties feeding. And as bats only give birth to one baby a year – usually in May and June when conditions were particularly bad this year – some populations are likely to have suffered considerably.

Bats have had it tough this yearCredit:
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How to help

Put in a pond and grow nectar-rich plants, as both will attract insects in the evening. You can also become a bat carer as there’s a desperate shortage in many parts of Wales and Scotland, the Midlands and London. Visit bats.org.uk for details.

Garden birds

The wet, cold spring took its toll on baby birds, according to the RSPB. The 2012 Make Your Nature Count survey revealed the number of people who observed baby thrushes in their garden fell by 27 per cent this year. Sightings of baby blackbirds and robins were also down. “A little bit of cold and wet wouldn’t normally be a big problem,” says Mark Eaton, RSPB principal conservation scientist. “But the sustained rain and colder-than-usual temperatures could have made it much more difficult for chicks to survive. Song thrushes and blackbirds have open cup nests that are more exposed to the elements, unlike blue tits, which have more enclosed and sheltered nests.”

Birds at a feederCredit:
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How to help

Ensure song thrushes and blackbirds get fit for the breeding season by leaving mealworms and halved apples on the ground. Brush leaves under shrubs so the birds can find beetles and insect larvae, and plant a shrub, such as hawthorn, for berries.

Butterflies

“We think this may be the worst-ever summer for garden butterflies,” says Martin Warren, chief executive of Butterfly Conservation. Butterflies can’t fly in the rain and they need warmth to fly and breed, so little sunshine and lots of rain will disrupt their breeding, putting local populations at risk of dying out, especially those that only fly for a short period. Early reports from the Big Butterfly Count 2012 suggest garden species such as the peacock, red admiral and painted lady, have disappeared from some areas. It’s not all bad news though. Species such as brimstone and orange tip will have fared well in the warm, dry, early spring.

A Red Admiral butterflyCredit:
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How to help

Grow a patch of long grass for species such as gatekeeper, meadow brown, speckled wood and ringlet to breed in. If you can, grow nettles in a sunny spot to provide for peacock, painted lady and red admiral. Visit butterfly-conservation.org.

Ladybirds

Ladybirds appear to be bucking the trend this year, faring better than many species. “Ladybirds are perfectly adapted to deal with large amounts of rain,” explains Helen Roy of the UK Ladybird Survey. “They have a tough outer shell, and can bring their legs in and just sit out the bad weather.” They’re best known as aphid predators, but some, such as orange ladybirds, eat mildew, which has flourished.

There is a flip side, however. “It’s also been a brilliant year for harlequins,” says Helen. Invasive harlequin ladybirds are colonising Britain and are blamed for a sharp decline in native two-spots.

A ladybird nestles in leavesCredit:
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How to help

Leave aphids on your plants for ladybirds to find. Growing nettles is one of the best ways to attract aphid-eating ladybirds into your garden, as nettle aphids are some of the earliest to emerge from hibernation. Find out more at ladybird-survey.org.

Bumblebees

“Overall it’s been a disastrous year for bumblebees,” says Ben Darvill, director of Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Many species nest in the ground, so in flooded areas, bumblebee nests are likely to have been destroyed. Tree bumblebees will have fared better, although availability of food may have been poor. “The lack of sunshine has meant fewer flowers this summer. This means less pollen and nectar for bumblebees,” says Ben.

Bumblebee flying in the gardenCredit:
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How to help

Buy in flowering plants to boost food availability, and make a note of the flowering plants in your garden to plan ahead for next autumn. Choose plants like ivy, Sedum spectabile and Verbena bonariensis, which all offer a lifeline to late-flying bees. For more information, visit bumblebeeconservation.org.

Frogs, toads and newts

It has been a mixed year for British amphibians. The charity Froglife was concerned in spring when the drought caused ponds in East Anglia to dry up. Froglife’s Sam Taylor says: “Many frogs and toads may not have bothered breeding, instead absorbing their spawn, which will put them in a better position to breed next year.” The rain came in good time for newts, however, which breed later than frogs and toads.

A frog sits under a toadstoolCredit:
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How to help

Dig a pond with shallow edges and top it up if it starts to dry out, especially in spring. It’s better to use rain water to fill and top up the pond, but if you don’t have any, use a small amount of tap water. For more information, visit froglife.org.

Hedgehogs

You’d think hedgehogs would have thrived as their main food, slugs, have had such a good year. But conditions may have been so bad that ample food wasn’t enough to save them. “Hedgehogs often breed in nests on the ground,” says Fay Vass from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS). “In areas that were flooded, nests may have become waterlogged and the babies will have died.” The BHPS received calls from gardeners who found weak hedgehogs out during the day – a sure sign they’re in trouble.

Hedgehogs suffer from bad weather conditionsCredit:
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How to help

Look out for hedgehogs in the daytime and call the BHPS on 01584 890801 if you see one. Leave out a dish of water and meat-based dog or cat food to help them fatten up for winter. Hedgehogs are looking for places to hibernate now, so check bonfires before lighting them. Visit britishhedgehogs.org.uk.

Barn owls

Barn owls were thriving in spring, with broods of up to seven babies reported by Barn Owl Trust volunteers. But this changed during the June rains. “Barn owls can’t fly silently with wet wings,” explains the Trust’s David Ramsden. “This means mice and voles can hear them coming.” After the rains, starving and dead baby barn owls were being found in nests. However, late-summer dry weather and field vole prey thriving in lush grass growth, may have boosted breeding.

Barn Owls can't fly with wet wingsCredit:
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How to help

Leave an area of grass to grow long so small mammals can eat, nest and shelter. Barn owls forage over a wide area and rural back gardens can readily form part of their home range. For more information visit barnowltrust.org.uk.